Adjustable i-beam base



Nov. 17, 1931. A, ALSAKER 1,831,798

ADJUSTABLE I- BEAM BASE Filed sept. 27, 1926 Patented Nove 17, 1931 UNITED STATES marne PATENT? lorifice ALFRED ALSAKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO THE DELTA-STAR ELEGTRIG COMPANY, OF CBCAGO, ILLINGIS, A CORPORATION GF ILLINOIS ADJUSTABLE I-BEAM BASE Application led September 27, 1926. Serial No. 137,928.

My invention relates to an adjustable base or clamp for I beams and the like.

While I shall describe herein a specific embodiment applied to the problem of supporting a bus bar'insulator, I do not intend to limit the invention to bus bar supports, as the clamp of my invention may be employed for supporting any suitable device. An advantageous feature of my base lies in the fact that one size of base may be used on various sizes of I or T beams.. This is accomplished by the use of a plurality of clamping members which are adapted to grip the base and the flange of the I beam on which the base is mounted. Each of these clamping members comprises a pair of jaws, one of which cooperates with a slot or groove extending diagonally across a corner of the base. The other jaw is adapted to firmly grip the under side of the flange portion of the I beam. The jaws are clamped against the base and flange7 respectively, by suitable bolt means. The base is preferably oblong. For one range of sizes of beams the major axis of the base extends longitudinally of the bar and for another range of sizes the longitudinal axis of the base is disposed transversely of the beam. If the base is made elliptical intermediate angular positions may be employed. In the preferred form. of the invention, I provide four sets of clamping members for each base, although a lesser or greater number might be employed. Such a structure is not only advantageous from the standpoint that it may be used on I beams of various sizes, but is also highly desirable because of the fact that it secures the base to the I beam with greater rigidity than is possible with lclamping* devices now generally employed. It secures a balanced gripping effect equalizing the tendency to slip off the flange of the beam. insulator which is mounted on a base of my invention is rmlv supported. Preferably I make the base oblong in order that it may be turned to present a greater or less-width to correspond to the beam. I have made these bases oval and circular as well as generally quadrilateral.

Another feature of the invention is the The result is that the novel' form of the plates which clamp the bus bars to the support member. These are generally triangular or rectangular in form and have convex or substantially spherical inner surfaces. By using a convex instead of a fiat surface togrip the bus bar, I find that a better and tighter hold may be had there on. A plate put under a bending stress naturally will yield with the applied pressure or load. If fiat plates are used, they bend or bulge out at the center, permitting only localized pressure at the edges with the result that such edges of the bar will be marred and yet a good frictional hold is not obtained. By making the clamping plate convex at the central part, a central pressure is obtained even though the plates yield to some extent.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the base taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 3 showing the insulator and the clamping means for the bus bar in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the bus bar support and mounting base for same;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the mounting base; and

Fig. fl is a sectional view of one of the clamping members for the base taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of another modification of mounting base.

'Ihe adjustable base of my linvention comprises a generally polygonal mounting portion 1() which is adapted to seat on the upper surface of the flange of an I beam 11. However, I wish it understood that the invention is not limited to use in connection with I beams only. It may be used on any other mounting beams which provide a suitable seating surface forthe base. A suitable boss 1Q having an opening 13 is formed integral with the central portion of the base. This boss has an annular clearance groove 14 to providea relief for surface grinding the top of the boss. The insulator 16 is secured rigidly to the boss 12 by means of a suitable bolt 17 which extends through the opening 13 in the boss. Diagonally across each corner of the base 10 I rovide a relatively rectangular boss 18. ach of the bosses 18 is provided with a slot or groove 20.

For clamping the base securely to the flange portion of an I beam, I provide the clamping members 21. Each of the clamping members 21 comprises an upper jaw 22 and a lower jaw 23. The upper aw 22 is provided with a downwardly extending portion 24 which is adapted to engage in one of the grooves 20. The portion 24 is narrower than the groove so as to permit its free movement therein. A depressed portion or socket 25 is provided on the upper side of each of the jaws 22. This portion is generally polygonal in form and is adapted to receive the head of a bolt 26 and to prevent said bolt head from turning. The bolt extends through suitable openings provided therefor in each of the jaw members 22 and 23. The bolts 26 cooperate with suitable nuts 27 on the under side of each of the jaw members 23. It will be noted that the jaw members 23 are provided with an upstanding portion 28 A which is of substantially the same width as the jaw. This portion terminates in a relatively sharp edge which is adapted to bite into the flange of the I beam when the jaws are drawn together by means of the bolts 26 and nuts 27. At the side opposite the jaw or biting edge 28 I provide a projection 40 which forms a fulcrum. Thus the members 22 and 23 both form second class levers, the pivot being at points 40, 41, the power being applied bv bolt 26 and the load being at jaws 24 and 28. The base 10 mav be clamped to I beams of various sizes by adjusting the position of portion 24 of the jaws 22 in the slot 20 until the upper portion of the lower jaws 23 comes into contact with the edge of the flange. When this is done, the nuts 27 are tightened on the bolts 26 until the jaws of each of the clamping members 21 are firmly locked in place. It is to be noted that the hub or boss 41 of member 22 is cut away to reach down alongside the diagonal edge of bosses 18 on base 10. The hub of member 23 is likewise cut away to reach up alongside the flange of the I beam. The two bosses are therefore disposed at an angle to each other.

At the upper end of the insulator 16 is secured a generally cross-shaped top member 30 comprising the cross nieces 31 and 32 which extend upward vertically from the base portion thereof. The opposite ends of the cross piece 32 have suitable ears or lugs. These are provided with openings for receiving the Shanks of the bolts or studs 33. The crosspiece 31 serves as a support for the bus-bar 34. It will be noted that this cross-piece extends across the full width of the base of the mounting member 30. The purpose of this is to permit a plurality of bus bars to be mounted thereon, if necessary.

To hold the bus bar 34 securely in place on the mounting member 30, I use the clamps and 36. Both of these clamps have a triangular shape, although this may be modified, and are provided with bolt holes at each corner thereof. The bolt holes at the base portions of the clamps 35 and 36 are adapted to receive the bolts or studs 33 which extend through the ears in the cross-piece 32. The upper ends of the clamps 35 and 36 are also provided with suitable bolt holes to receive the bolts 37. The surfaces of the clamps adjacent the openings for the bolts are preferably faced of so that the heads of the bolts and the nut 38, with which the bolts are adapted to cooperate, may make good surface contact therewith. For re-enforcing the clamps 35 and 36, I provide re-enforcing ribs 39 integral with the outer faces of the clamping members 35 and 36, respectively. The inner surfaces 42 of the clamps 35 and 36 are made convex. Hence, when the clamps 35 and 36 are first brought into contact with thev bus bar 34, the first point of contact will be at substantially the central portion of the bus bar. Now, by tightening the bolts 33 and 37, the base and apex portions of the clamps 35 and 36 will be drawn inwardly about the central point of contact. The result is that the clamps 35 and 36, respectively, may be brought into firmer contact with the bus bar because any slight bending of the plates or clamps does not limit the area of pressure. Furthermore, if the surfaces were flat, the edges thereof would tend to bite with the bus bar and give less secure mounting.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, I provide a base member 43, having a plurality of angular slots or grooves 44. These grooves should preferably be made in the form of a right angle so as to permit adjustment of the clamping members 45 in either the horizontal or vertical directions. It is obvious that the grooves need not be limited to a right angle, as grooves in the form of any obtuse angle might also be satisfactorily employed. v By the use of diagonal grooves, as described in connection with the preferred embodiment, the same results are had as with theangular grooves, since the movement of the clamping members in a diagonal slot may be resolved into movement in a vertical path and a horizontal path.

In case it is desired to apply the clamp of my invention to a narrower beam, the bus may he turned 90, that is, with its longer axis longitudinal of the beam. A wide range of sizes may thus be covered by one size of base. Instead of having separate grooves at the corners, I may provide one continuous groove about the periphery of the base, or may divide the groove in some different way from the specific way in which I have shown'in the drawings. It is desirable to have the groove either continuously or separately have two dimensions in its length.

resinas I do not wish to be limited to the details shown or described.

I claim l. In combination, a base member having a pluralityof grooves, and clamping members adapted to cooperate with said grooves for securing said base member to a mount ing member, each of said clamping members comprising a pair of jaws, and means including bolts for drawing said jaws together.

2. In combination, a base member adapt ed to be mounted on a beam having a iange portion and having a plurality of grooves, and clamping members for securing said base to said flange, said clamping members comprising an upper jaw and a lower jaw, said upper jaw being adjustable along the grooves in said base and said lower jaw havin an upwardly extending ortion for i pig the under side of saidpiange, andgbolt means clamping said jaws against said base and flange. l

3. In combination, a base member adaptu ed to be mounted upon a beam having a flange portion, and means for securing said. base member to said iange portion, said j means comprising a plurality of clamping members each of which have an upper jaw and a lower jaw, the upper jaw having a downwardly extending portion which isv adapted to cooperate with guide means on said base to -permit proper adjustment of ithe clamping member with respect to the flange portion of said beam.

' 4. In combination, a base member, a plurality of clamping members for securing said base member to a mounting member, each of said clamping members comprising an upper jaw and a lower jaw. and'means integral with one of said jaws Which serves as a fulcrum for the other jaw.

5. In combination, a base member having a groove and adapted to be secured to a mounting member,.a clamping member for securing said base member to said mounting member, said clamping member comprising an upper jaw adapted for cooperation with said groove ing members for securing said base member to said mounting member, each of said clamping members comprisingl an upper jaw ada ted for engagement wit said grooves an a ower jaw for gripping said mounting mem- In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day of September, 1926.

. Y ALFRED ALSAKER and a lower jaw for gripping said mounting Y member, said clamping members having cooperating ulcrums. Y

6. In a beam clamp, the combination of a plate having a major and a minor axis, three 'or more slotted grooves in the plate, and clamping means independentlyv movable in said grooves for adjustably securing the plate to a mounting member, said grooves being symmetrical with respect to both of lll 

